


The Prince and His Knight (Abandoned)

by orphan_account



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Arabian AU, M/M, Romance, davekat - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-12
Updated: 2013-11-24
Packaged: 2017-12-23 06:29:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/923095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Karkat is the prince of Arabia, and the only Heir to his father's throne; Dave (David) is a famed hero from Europe, whose greatness was so well-known the Sultan requested him specifically to be his son's personal guard. At first it would seem that the two are destined to drive each other crazy, but when a certain bond that spans far past that of a prince and his servant is formed, things get complicated. (Abandoned)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

“I told you,” Karkat growled to his father for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, “I don’t need a foreign lapdog to shadow me everywhere I go.” He crossed his arms stubbornly as he stood at the Sultan’s side, his expression riddled with mixed emotions of anger, indignance, frustration, and just overall negativity. He hated the idea of being coddled by a Westerner whose ego was probably big enough already- it was just insulting, as far as the young prince was concerned. “I can take care of my-”

Before he could continue, he received a look so cold and serious that it shut him up immediately -something only his father could manage so quickly, or at all really. “Whether or not you’re right, and I’m not saying you are,” the Sultan added pointedly, only for Karkat to open his mouth in protest and shut it yet again as his elder continued talking, “you are the prince, the heir to my throne, and I’m not going to take any chances concerning your safety. This land is full of cutthroats and rapscallions, and I refuse to believe that we can ever be too prepared... I won’t lose my second son as well as my first,” he added solemnly, looking Karkat dead in the eye with a much softer expression than before.

Karkat’s frown turned from angry to slightly somber when the weight of his father’s words settled in his mind; but he didn’t have long to dwell on his older brother, Kankri, before his father continued on, business as usual, in the expected “no-nonsense” tone. “Furthermore, I expect you to welcome your new servant with honor and dignity, like the respectable member of the royal family you are. As I said, you are a prince- it is time you started acting like it.”

Karkat bit the inside of his lip before he risked arguing back again, likely just to receive an even harsher round scolding, like the dozens he‘d already endured. It was pointless, he realized, and he was wasting his breath trying to prove himself right. Finally, he lowered his head a bit in dutiful respect, bringing his hands to his sides once more as he forced a curt nod. “Yes, father.”

The Sultan nodded back once before turning his attention to the grand double doors as they opened, one of their servants leading in a tall man with hair as white as his skin, clad in European garb with a long sword at his hip. While neither of them had known what to expect, the Prince and this famed, foreign hero, they definitely hadn’t been ready for one other: Karkat, with his perfectly smooth skin that had a coloration akin to burnt caramel, and shaggy hair as black as an Arabian night sky; and then there was the foreigner, skin like flawless ivory and hair that shined a pale golden in the sunlight as it filtered in through the windows. Karkat was visibly stunned, his mouth falling open slightly and dark, cocoa-colored eyes going a bit wide, while the foreigner remained calm and collected, almost unnervingly so. As he kneeled before the royal family, bowing his head with a hand over his chest, there was but one thought running through his head: “maybe this assignment won’t be that bad after all.”

“My name is David Strider,” he greeted just loudly enough to be heard, in a tone of voice so cool it could’ve brought a chill to the nearby deserts. “It’s an honor to serve the Arabian Prince. Nobody will lay a finger on him while he’s under my protection, I assure you.”

Once Karkat had snapped out of his momentary stupor, he bared his teeth a bit, making only the slightest “tch” sound in annoyance. He had to mentally remind himself of his father’s demands, and the expectant look the Sultan gave him certainly helped with that. Then he realized the look was one that sternly read “greet the visitor” and he had to repress a heavy sigh of irritation. “We’re very… _pleased_ to have you as a part of our royal guard,” he stated in the most courteous tone he could muster, though his expression remained full of confliction and disdain, and he practically spat out the ending phrase.

“Beg your pardon,” David chuckled, daring to glance up at him with a small, almost teasing smirk, “but may I have the pleasure of knowing my charge’s name?”

Karkat’s jaw clenched up a bit, and his hands balled into fists at his sides. Still, he bowed his head as he stated his name briefly and bluntly, “Prince Karkat.” After another moment of having to endure the god damn _smoldering_ gaze of the foreigner, ignoring the small rush of heat in his cheeks, he added quickly, “But you will, from here on out, address me as “your Highness” and nothing else. Am I understood?”

David held back another small laugh of amusement as he nodded. “As you wish, your Highness.”

Something about the way he said it in that smooth voice of his made Karkat’s heart skip a beat in his chest, though he did his best not to acknowledge it. When the young prince detected the slightest hint of a taunting tone behind the calmness, he narrowed his eyes, his nose scrunching up a bit as he continued to scowl down at the knight with nothing but hatred and contempt. This look didn’t seem to phase the new servant in the slightest, and if anything just made him grin a little more. The westerner had a feeling this job would be difficult and trying, but someone like him only welcomed such a challenge. It would certainly be interesting, and he looked forward to getting to know this spoiled -but admittedly very handsome- prince better.


	2. Chapter 2

The mere sound of David’s heavy footsteps following right behind the light tapping of his own made Karkat’s fists ball up tighter, and his shoulders tense up even more. After leaving the throne room to go back to his quarters, it had taken a few minutes to realize that the foreigner was following him; he’d been relatively silent, but his very presence managed to rile the young prince. Whether or not it was the knight’s job to trail behind him wherever he went, Karkat still hated it.

By the time they’d reached his room, the two guards at the entrance opening the doors for him, Karkat rounded on the foreign man and looked straight up at him. He was taken aback at first, now getting his first good look at the odd coloration of his new body guard’s eyes- a bright, inhuman crimson. They were oddly beautiful, like the purest, brightest rubies imaginable, but he refused to let himself linger on that thought for very long. “You’re too close,” he snarled as fiercely as he could, despite his small stature, especially in comparison to David.

The knight paused a bit, one eyebrow quirking upwards as he smirked the slightest bit. “I’m sorry, your highness. Although, I’ve been walking _at least_ five feet behind you this entire time. Any further back wouldn’t be a suitable distance to do my job. I may be _your_ servant, but your father’s orders come first.”

Karkat opened his mouth to shout back a retort, the attitude in David’s voice an obvious one of mild sass and teasing, but he knew it wouldn’t do him any good. He just grimaced at the knight and spun on his heel again. “Fine, just keep your distance. You probably brought some terrible, European disease with you.” With that he stormed into his quarters, expecting the doors to shut promptly behind him. When they didn’t, and he instead heard them shut only after those heavy, clunking footsteps echoed into his room, he grit his teeth. “What now?” he hissed, glancing at the blonde over his shoulder.

“Sultan’s orders- during the day, you’re under my constant watch.” The smirk he was already wearing widened into a small, daring grin. “You don’t like me much, do you, princess?”

Karkat bristled a bit at being called “princess,” his tanned cheeks going a bit red. “That’s _prince_ , you… _you_ …” He fumbled for an appropriate word, his face only going redder with his frustration. Finally he gave up and let out this rumbling, furious growl, throwing up his arms in defeat as he kept walking. David just laughed a little at the sight of the small tantrum, still walking behind Karkat at the standard distance of about five feet.

He paused a bit though, when he saw Karkat sit down cross-legged beside a snow-white, Bengal tiger probably two-to-three times his size. Though his expression remained calm and collected for the most part, he was certainly caught off guard by seeing such a beast. Still, as the prince absently ran a hand over the creature’s head, stroking down its neck and scratching behind its ears, he realized it must’ve been tamed, likely since it was very yong. Which gave him enough confidence to take a few steps forward, only to hear a low rumble forming at the back of the tiger’s throat.

“Almas doesn’t like strangers very much,” Karkat said plainly, glowering at David from where he sat.

“I see you two have a lot in common then,” David retorted swiftly without missing a beat, only to receive a dramatic roll of dark brown eyes in return. “Make sure to control it, at least. I’m the good guy here.”

“ _Her_. And you’re not, as far as I’m concerned.” The scathing tone did nothing to surprise the European, much to the prince’s chagrin. “Why don’t you just go back home, where you belong?”

Dave shrugged in reply, one hand placed at the hilt of his sword, just out of habit. “Part of my fame is how I never give up a quest, even those of the most challenging nature. And with a spoiled _princess_ like you to take care of, this should be my most difficult assignment of all. Just more to add to my list of achievements.” Just as he was about to follow up with a smug chuckle again, he jumped a little as he felt something brush over his foot, looking down to see a snake about as thick as a garden hose, and as long as he himself.

Just as he was about to crush the reptile under his foot, -doing his duty and protecting the prince from _any_ potential threat- he paused abruptly when Karkat quickly shouted “Stop!” He looked over to his master with a puzzled and expectant expression, the smaller male quickly getting up and lifting the snake in his arms. The way the cold-blooded animal coiled around the young prince made David shiver a bit anxiously, but he didn’t move otherwise. “He used to be my brother’s.”

The knight had hardly expected the soft, slightly rasping tone Karkat had spoken with, more shocked by that than even the usual growls and yelling. The prince just continued staring down at the snake, softly smoothing his forefinger over its head. Its forked tongue flicked out once or twice, only making David stiffen a little more. Still, the knight nodded a bit and backed away a step or two. “I’ve only heard a little about your brother, and your mother as well. They were-”

“Assassinated,” Karkat cut him off sharply. “You don’t need to remind me.”

“Right,“ David agreed just a little bit awkwardly, with a clear of his throat before plowing right back into the conversation. “Well, if I’m going to be serving you, I think I should know exactly what happened that night. I’m bound to find out eventually, even if you don’t tell me. So you may as well.”

Karkat paused a bit, glancing up at David with a harsh, pained look before breathing out a heavy sigh and trudging over to his bed, sitting down on it and shuffling his feet against the floor. “Fine. Just listen up, because I won’t repeat this a second time.” He took another deep breath, his eyes focused on the small snake as it slithered around his wrist and forearm, the rest of its long, scaly body draped around Karkat’s shoulders. “It happened almost six years ago, after I had turned thirteen, and Kankri was sixteen. My mother had just left our room after making sure we were asleep, and that‘s when the assassin got her. After that he snuck into our room and managed to murder my brother as well, but _Iblis_ here,” he paused, holding up his arm to address the snake, “bit the man before he could get to me. The venom caused him a slow, painful, and well-deserved death,” he finished bitterly, his shoulders slumping as he stared at the floor. “And that's basically it... You can probably guess it’s not a night I like remembering.”

David seemed stunned as he watched the brooding prince, the knight's usually blank or smug expression a bit softer a kinder than before, though still vaguely emotionless. “That must’ve been hard for someone so young,” he said with a short bow of his head. “But you must realize that that’s exactly why I’m here, right? To make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to you.”

“Better men then you have tried and failed, losing their own lives in the process,” Karkat shot back curtly, getting up after prying the snake off his arm. “Some of them even turned out to be assassins posing as my guards, so excuse me if I’m not the most trusting person.” His tone was as venomous as the snake he’d been holding, but the look in his eyes was one of hurt, loss, sorrow and fear, and it hadn’t gone unnoticed by David.

“Your father seems to trust me,” he replied coolly, crossing his arms to convey how determined he was. “I’m not like any of those traitors, and I give my word that I’m stronger than any man you’ve met. I promised to protect you, and I’ll be damned if I break that promise. A knight‘s a man of his word.”

Karkat just raised an eyebrow, his hands poised at his hips. “You’re… serious?”

“I’d say that I am,” David said back with a nod and a confident smile. “Sorry, princess, but you’re stuck with me.”

Karkat frowned indignantly at that, huffing a bit in reply as he mirrored David’s stance and crossed his own arms. “I don’t plan on making it easy for you.”

“I didn’t expect you to.”

* * *

 

A few days past, and by that time a certain amount of understanding had been established between the prince and his knight. Not that either of them had exactly stopped making themselves a purposeful nuisance to the other; Karkat being just as stubborn and feisty as he had on their first day together, and David just poking fun at him at any chance he got to do so as subtly as possible. So subtly in fact, that only Karkat picked up on it when he did. Still, the two were slowly getting accustomed to one another, David even managing to grow vaguely fond of his charge, strangely enough.

On that particular night, the especially hot day leaving an especially chilly night in its wake, Dave was just settling into bed in his own private quarters. He stared out the window for a few minutes, silently admiring the inky, blue sky, a bit heavy with thick clouds, the sparing stars peeking out behind them. It was peaceful, quiet, serene. At least until he heard a loud, terrified cry echo down the hall just outside his door- a cry in such a voice all too familiar to him. _Karkat_ , he thought to himself briefly, whirling around and practically sprinting out the door, grabbing his sword on the way out.

He was the first one to Karkat’s room, throwing open the door and rushing inside. He stopped when he didn’t see anyone in there, fearing he’d been too late at first. His stiff muscles relaxed though, when he heard a few choked sobs coming from Karkat’s bed, and saw the prince sitting up in a slightly hunched-over position, quivering and cowering in the corner. He turned only slightly when he heard a number of other guards stop in the doorway, shooing them off with one hand as he walked, quietly as possible, to Karkat’s bedside.

As David sat down, he noticed Karkat visibly stiffen, his head jerking in the knight’s direction to look at him with wide, watery eyes. “Your… highness?” he asked carefully, just barely resting a hand on the slightly younger male’s shoulder. “What happened-”

“It was just a nightmare,” Karkat snapped, wiping his eyes roughly with his sleeve and sniffing loudly. “I’m fine, so you can go away now-” His breath hitched in his throat when the hand on his shoulder shifted, pulling him in close to David’s chest, and the blonde’s other arm wrapped around him. “What are you...?”

“Just relax, and tell me what the dream was about,” Dave cut him off softly, his voice a collected whisper as he stared straight ahead over Karkat’s mess of ebony hair. Why did this feel so good? Just to hold him like this, their chests pressed together so close their heartbeats seemed to synch up in rhythm; Karkat’s erratic beat steadily slowed to match the dulcet tempo of the foreigner’s. It only got better as the prince gingerly slipped both arms around his waist, nuzzling against his chest. He felt the small boy’s tears bleed through his shirt as he choked out a quiet reply.

“It was about Kankri and... and my mom…” he whimpered sorrowfully, his hands balling into fists and gathering up the cloth at David’s back simultaneously.  
The taller man just nodded, blinking slowly one or twice, as one hand began to rub soothing circles into the boy’s back; the other tangled carefully into his hair, fingers combing through the dark, tangled locks.

“It was just a dream,” he finally shushed after his actions managed to quiet Karkat, and he gently pushed him back to lay down again. “Now get some sleep. If it helps, I’ll stay here… won’t leave your side for even a minute, if that’s what it takes.”

Karkat rolled onto his side to face David, blinking several times like he was confused. “Why are you doing this? None of my other guards have ever…” he trailed off a little bit when Dave pulled his covers up over him, only for the blonde to begin answering already.

“It’s my job to protect and care for the prince,” Dave said with a smirk, though a much softer and caring one than usual. “I think this easily falls under at least one of those two categories.” He ran his fingers through Karkat’s hair again, his expression growing strangely warm, and maybe even affectionate. Strange, but not in a bad way. “Now, get some sleep already.”

Karkat paused, practically gawking up at the knight for a moment before nodding against his pillow and shutting his eyes. With Dave’s soft, gentle touches over his arm and in hair, it didn’t take him long to doze off into a much deeper, sweeter sleep than before. Meanwhile, David kept his promise, staying glued to that spot until the sun rose. So what if he may or may not have dozed off somewhere around two in the morning? As long as Karkat woke up with him there, as proof that he was the real deal, nothing else mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I'm not rushing the romance too much. My lovely moirail and co-writer encouraged me to speed things a long a little though, so I took her advice. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. I can't believe how quickly this is getting kudos and hits already, and it makes me so happy, so thank you all!


	3. Chapter 3

Just outside Karkat’s window, the sun was just beginning to set behind the sandy dunes of the horizon. The sky was already turning several different shades and hues of orange, pink and red. As beautiful as it was, Karkat couldn’t take too much longer to admire it; David had just left his quarters, his job more or less done for the day, but by the way he’d been fussing over him lately, Karkat was almost certain he’d be back before too long. In which case, he had to be gone by that time.

The majority of his face covered up with his cloak, Karkat carefully, and as quietly as he could, climbed onto his bed to begin crawling out of the window just above it. He’d barely managed to get one leg over the sill when he heard his chamber door open, and nearly fell from his precarious position. As David came in, wearing a look of confusion, it was all Karkat could do to stare back with an expression that somewhat read as “I can explain.”

At first Karkat was scared out of his skin that David would go straight to his father, but he eased up a bit when the knight just smirked, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms. “My, my. Is the princess trying to sneak out without her knight?” he taunted, taking a few strides closer and laughing when Karkat was so surprised that he finally fell from his perch and onto the bed.

At this point, the prince had gotten more or less used to David calling him “princess,” -not that he hated it any less- and realized that he had no intentions of stopping any time soon. “What?” Karkat asked finally, baring his fangs in an attempt to hide his befuddlement with ferocity. He sat up straight, his legs hanging off the side of his bed as he glared up at the  blonde. “You’re kidding right?”

“Of course not. Why would I lie to you? What could I possibly gain from that?” Still smirking, David got down on one knee, taking Karkat’s hand in his and kissing it gently before glancing up to lock eyes with him. Angry and stubborn or not, he was a handsome prince, even at a kneeling angle. The thought lingered on his mind for but a moment, and he quickly shooed it away with a blink or two. “It would be my honor to escort you, Karkat.”

Now even the dark coloration of Karkat’s skin couldn’t hide the bright red flush in his cheeks, his eyebrows still knitted together and his mouth hanging open a bit. This was for two reasons- the enamored look David gave him, which sent shivers up and down his spine and stirred a small fluttering sensation in the pit of is stomach, and the short, seemingly small gesture of kissing his hand. To the westerner it may have been a simple matter of common courtesy or respect, but in Karkat’s culture it was more closely linked to asking a person on a date. Naturally he was puzzled by this, blinking several times and just… _staring_ dumbfoundedly, before managing to nod in reply, recovering his stoic attitude. “Fine, if you must.”

David grinned back slightly, standing back up to his full height. “Perfect. Now, does the little princess need a boost?” he chuckled, leaning down a bit to ruffle Karkat’s hair.

He hunched over a bit to try and duck away from the touch, hissing in response. “Just shut up and help me out the window.”

* * *

The streets bustled around the prince and his knight, though with Karkat covered up the way he was, he was the last one drawing attention from the crowds. The tall white man in foreign clothes and nearly-white hair on the other hand, was quite a spectacle for the citizens of the kingdom. Not that he cared- he was doing his job, and as long as nobody got to close to the prince, he wouldn’t say or do anything other than walk behind him, keeping an eagle's eye out for danger.

It didn’t take the pair too much longer to reach their destination, which was honestly a relief to the knight. So many people, couple with the prince's puny stature, made the prospect of losing him all too plausible. David stood back a few feet as Karkat knocked on the door of a small house, only for it to be opened by a tall, lanky boy about the prince’s age, with short, black hair and slightly lighter skin. It took some close inspection, but the foreigner noticed that this stranger’s eyes were heterochromatic, one eye a much paler shade of brown than the other.

Upon opening the door, the boy seemed surprised and wary when he saw David, but quickly looked down and smirked a bit at Karkat. “Hey, Karkat,” he greeted in a dull, yet subtly fond tone of voice, glancing back up at the knight a few times. He bowed down a bit, but not in respect to the prince, but to lightly kiss his forehead in the usual gesture of greeting for them. Karkat returned the odd -or at least it seemed odd to David- action promptly, like it was second nature. When he did, the blonde felt his hand ball into a tight fist at his side. That was odd too. “Whothe the white man?”

At the bluntness of this “greeting” one of Dave’s eyebrows shot up, the rest of his expression not moving an inch as he said nothing. He just followed behind Karkat as he was welcomed inside, leaving the introductions up to him. “This is my new guard,” the young prince stated plainly, unraveling the cloak that hid his face. “David, this is Sollux, my best friend.”

Dave nodded in reply, still quiet as he looked the other boy up and down. This got him a small snort from Sollux, who asked in a disinterested tone, “What, ith he mute or thomething?”

Karkat scoffed in reply, chuckling a bit and sounded disbelieving. “Oh no, believe me- he talks way too much, most of the time.” He and Sollux exchanged a few small chuckles, and David’s jaw clenched slightly. Not that either of them noticed. “Still, he did help me sneak out when he caught me, instead of telling my father. Any other guard would’ve made sure he knew right away, so…” as much as he tried to avoid it, his tone turned a bit softer, warmer as he continued. “I guess he’s good for something.”

“Tho that’th why he’th here. Did your _royal highneth_ finally get caught thneaking out?” he chuckled, performing an overdramatic bow. David’s eyebrow made the slightest twitch downwards, the only sign of his disapproval at Sollux’s words. He felt like there was a knot tied up in his stomach, but he couldn’t figure out what was agitating him so much. The prince was an assignment, and nothing more… right? Surely he wasn’t… no. That’d be ridiculous. Ridiculous and unwise.

Karkat rolled his eyes with a grimace of irritation in reply, punching the commoner in the arm only half-playfully. Sollux flinched and seethed in a way that made it obvious the pain was nonexistent, and he was just playfully making fun of the small male further. “So what?” the prince grumbled with a shrug. “I’m here, so it’s not like it really matters.”

Sollux gave a short nod of agreement before taking Karkat by the elbow and leading him farther inside the house. The two of them sat down on a few large pillows laying on the floor, one across from the other. “Tho, how’th your cushy life at the palathe?” the much taller boy snickered, pointing nonchalantly at David with his thumb, as if addressing an inanimate wall instead of a person. “Bethideth the imported thervant.”

Karkat seemed rather annoyed, and the knight couldn’t tell if it was due to the taunting in the commoner’s voice, or the way he kept verbally attacking him personally. “Give him a shred of credit,” Karkat muttered in as dull a tone as he could manage, crossing his legs and leaning back comfortably. To see him so unusually relaxed and informal was alien to David, to say the least, but the way the young prince jumped to his defense made him smirk the slightest bit in satisfaction. “He could’ve stopped me from coming altogether, but he didn’t.”

When the shorter boy turned his head to look pointedly at David from across the room, the Knight immediately stopped his smirking, his face reverting to a blank and dutiful look. “Could you stop looming over there? You’re making things awkward, so… just come sit down.” At the subtle look of surprise and uncertainty he received, Karkat sighed heavily with a shake of his head. “That’s an order, damn it,” he huffed finally, crossing his arms over his chest.

With this confirmation, David nodded and strode across the room to sit beside Karkat while facing Sollux, who just snickered a bit at the exchange between master and servant. “An order, huh? Don’t be tho theriouth, _printhe_ Karkat. Jutht tell him he’th off duty or thomething, then he’ll leave uth alone.”

At that point, David finally spoke up for the first time since he and Karkat had arrived. “According to the Sultan, I’m never off duty,” he retorted in a relatively emotionless tone, though he smirked a little in that smug way he tended to do, as if daring Sollux to make his next move. It was obvious the native didn’t like him, for whatever reason, and the knight would’ve been lying if he’d said the feeling wasn’t mutual.

“He’th dedicated, I’ll give him that,” Sollux nearly hissed back, seeming far less than amused by the interjection. “I liked him better when he didn’t talk. And jutht tho you know, Karkat’th not a little kid, and he doethn’t need you to baby him.” There was a scathing edge to his words, and his eyes narrowed a bit. His upper lip even curled back a bit as he finished the remark, showing off his canines.

“That may be true; he’s not a child, but he is a person of interest. Excuse me for not wanting my charge to get killed or captured the one time I’m not there to do my job.” His words hung thickly and heavily in the air for a few minutes, the room going silent as David and Sollux locked eyes and mirrored the deathly glare they received from the other. When Karkat cleared his throat loudly, the sound made even more potent by the feeling of annoyance and tension it gave off, David finally broke the gaze as if on his master’s command. He then stood to his feet abruptly, looking down at Karkat and extending his hand. “I think we should get back to the palace. If we’re gone to much longer, someone’s bound to notice.”

Sollux opened his mouth to argue, obviously aggravated, but Karkat spoke first. “You’re probably right,” he mumbled back as he took Dave’s hand gingerly, allowing himself to be gently pulled to his feet. He tried hard to ignore the indignant and maybe even hurt look Sollux gave him, focusing instead on how dark it had gotten outside. “I’ll be back soon, alright?” he reassured his friend after a moment of silence, his tone and expression apologetic.

Finally, after glaring off to the side for just a few seconds, Sollux stood up and walked towards Karkat, placing another small kiss of goodbye on his forehead. “Fine. Thee you in a few dayth, Karkat. Nectht time, try not to bring the lapdog along.”

Karkat chuckled a bit halfheartedly after returning the gesture, then frowned a bit. “See you soon.”

He took his cloak as David handed it to him, and covered himself again, waving once before the knight ushered him out before tossing a hard-eyed glance over his shoulder at Sollux. “If you’re really his friend, you’ll care about his safety as much as I do,” he stated coolly before shutting the door behind them.

* * *

 All seemed well at first as David and Karkat snuck back onto the palace grounds, but with the harsh shout of “intruders!” they both stopped in their tracks, already surrounded by guards. When they saw the recognizable white man, they seemed more than a little confused, at least until Karkat removed the cloth that hid his face. The knight then held up one hand as he wore a calm grin, as if to assure that everything was fine. They were then rushed to the thrown room, Karkat obvious rattled by this turn of events; and even more so by the look on his father’s face when they arrived, one of worry and repressed anger.

“We’ve been looking all over the palace for both of you,” his voice boomed down to them. “Where have you been? You know you’re not supposed to leave the palace, Karkat.”

Karkat’s fists clenched and unclenched several times as he gnawed at his lip and stared at the ground nervously. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, David took a quick step in front of him and kneeled before the Sultan, bowing his head. “Apologies,” he said in that ever-neutral, smooth voice of his. “It was my idea. I thought the prince should see his kingdom. I‘m the one to blame.”

Karkat’s father still looked skeptical, but his iron-like gaze softened slightly as he sighed and rubbed his temple with one hand. “Very well. Because of your status and trustworthy legacy, I’m choosing not to punish you. For now. I won’t be so generous next time, foreigner.” His tone was grave and serious, and David just nodded back with a quick “of course,” before standing and leading Karkat back to his quarters.

“We’ll have to be more careful next time,” he murmured to Karkat once they’d reached his room, just as he was about to leave and rest up for th night. He halted immediately when Karkat’s voice fell on his ears, however.

“Wait- you’d risk getting in trouble again? Just to help me?” he questioned in a rough and unconvinced tone, visibly surprised and practically demanding an explanation. “Why? And none of that “it’s your duty” stuff. I want the truth.”

Dave raised an eyebrow with a fraction of a smile as he shut the door. “If that’s what you want, fine- I’ve honestly grown pretty attached to you, Karkat. You’re entertaining. And I can tell you’re not one to be cooped up, and that you’re unhappy here. To me, that doesn’t seem suitable for a soon-to-be ruler.” He shrugged with a chuckle, still perfectly collected. “I guess it’s no secret anymore. I know I’m just your servant, but I do actually care about you as a fellow human being.”

Karkat’s eyes were wide as globes, as he gawked at David in surprise. “So… before, when you kissed my hand… you were serious?” Now it was David’s turn to look confused. “You were asking me out on a date, idiot!”

The most miniscule amount of pink flushed into the knight’s cheeks, and he shook his head with a quieter, more nervous laugh than before. “No, no… it’s just something we do back in my country. It didn’t mean anything like that. Why? Would you like me to ask you out?” he added with a confident twist in his smile, his eyes glinting expectantly.

If Dave had been red, Karkat was about ten times as bad, maybe more, and he stuttered just slightly. “N-no! Look, let me just explain something to you. Come over here,” he ordered gruffly, grabbing Dave’s arm and tugging him towards his bed. He practically shoved him to sit down on it before moving in beside him. “Things like that are different here, so be more careful or people will get the wrong idea.”

“Different how?”

Karkat paused, looking like he was about to answer before shutting his mouth and thinking for a bit. “Do I really have to show you?” he forced himself to growl out, glaring up at David with an unsure and frustrated frown. When David nodded, trying his best not to smirk smugly in the most infuriating sense, Karkat heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fine, just… pay attention, damn it.” He sighed again, tentatively taking David’s hand and kissing the top of it briefly. “That’s what you do when you ask someone out, so… don’t do that to me unless-”

“Unless?” David’s grin widened.

“Unless nothing!” Karkat spat back sharply before continuing on. “Lean down,” he waited for the knight to do as he was told, “this is a normal greeting and goodbye between friends.” With both hands on David’s shoulders, he still had to lean up a bit to reach his forehead, the kiss lasting for maybe a millisecond longer than the one to his hand. “A kiss here,” he stopped talking when his lips met the tip of David’s nose, “is for when you greet a friend or relative younger than you.”

“ _Interesting_ ,” David said, his voice choking up only a little bit, certainly not enough for the other male to notice. He could feel his face heat up a little more with each time he felt Karkat’s lips meet his skin, and he swallowed a bit. He didn’t move though- that, of course, would’ve been disobeying orders. Not that he wanted to stop Karkat anyway.

Now Karkat seemed to get a little flustered, his cheeks a deep, candy-red again as he tilted and moved his head, mumbling awkwardly against David’s neck. “This is to show intimacy.” His voice cracked a bit as he kissed just above David’s exposed collarbone, almost too slowly. Not that the knight minded. The prince moved up again, his breath now warm against the shell of the foreigners ear. “This is how, uh… lovers say goodbye,” he told him quietly as he kissed where his lips had been hovering over for those few seconds. He pulled back and cleared his throat to try and cover up his embarrassment, though the shade of red in his face said it all. “Lastly, this is… to say thank you.” This kiss was much quicker, especially in comparison to his last one, as if a begrudging act of appreciation. “And that’s basically it.”

David seemed a tad stunned, but pleasantly so. “That’s awfully sweet of you,” he chuckled in a tone that conveyed a certain amount of endearment and sarcasm at the same time. “But I think you missed one.” Karkat’s eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement, and David’s kind smile turned smug once again as he just tapped his lips. The look in his eyes told more than he woul've been able to verbally communicate.

The look that flashed over Karkat’s face -the quickest and most adorable shocked expression David had seen in a long while- was priceless. Still, he regained himself rather quickly, unusually so, and murmured, “Oh,” as he took the knight’s chin in between his thumb and first two fingers, pulling him in close as he leaned forward. Their mouths were barely half an inch apart, and the blonde immediately felt his heart speed to an alarming rate, only for it to skip a beat and plummet into his stomach when Karkat whispered, with a tiny smirk, “I think you know what it means,” just before pulling away.

David’s jaw drooped so subtly that even he hadn’t noticed it; if his mouth had been dry before, it was even more so now. The prospect of being that close had made his mind go numb, and he had to swallow several times just to restore moisture in his mouth so he could speak, his composure all but having disappeared. “Your highness, I-”

“You know,” Karkat cut him off as he stood, crossing his arms with his back towards Dave. “Now that I think about it, you’re pretty entertaining too.” He tossed a smirk at Dave over his shoulder, a vaguely mischievous look in his eye. “I think you’re my new favorite toy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two things: sorry to all Sollux fans because I kind of skimped on the interaction with him, and I can't write him worth shit. Secondly, I doubt the stuff with the kissing is really a part of Arabian culture, it's just something that came up during brainstorming with my moirail, and we both agreed it would be an adorable way to close out the chapter. I hope you enjoyed them both being oblivious, flirtatious assholes.


	4. Chapter 4

On that particular day, David was to escort Karkat to his harem for a scheduled meeting with a certain princess and potential wife from a nearby kingdom. As disinterested as the young prince obviously was, the female in question didn’t seem aware of this factor in the slightest. In fact, she seemed utterly oblivious to the dull and unimpressed stares he gave her, his little sighs of intolerance, and the absent looks he sent towards David, who he honestly seemed much more focused on.  The fact that Karkat had been staring certainly didn’t go unnoticed by the knight, and he couldn’t force himself to mind it if he wanted to. No matter how many times he reminded himself that he was just a servant, he couldn’t help but find himself glancing over at Karkat the same way the prince did to him, if not more subtly.

Finally, the princess said something just loud and in a bubbly enough tone that it caught Karkat’s attention, drawing it away from his faithful knight. “Huh?” he asked a bit distantly, and she just smiled, shoving his arm a bit playfully.

“I asked if you could take me on a tour of the palace, silly,” she giggled, pulling a bit of her billowy, black hair to the side and running her fingers through it. “Can we? It would be a better chance for us to spend some time in private.”

 _Not really_ , Karkat couldn’t help but think to himself as his thoughts once again faltered back towards David, who would naturally be following them, but he shrugged in a vaguely agreeable manner nonetheless. “I guess it couldn’t hurt. David,” he called, and the foreigner was at his side in a heartbeat with a small bow. “Princess Feferi was wanting to see the palace.”

“As you wish.” The knight smiled smoothly at the slightly younger girl. “I hope you don’t mind if I stay with you two. It is my duty, after all.”

At first she seemed a bit disappointed and hesitant, but then her expression brightened just enough to show that it didn’t bother her, and she nodded. “Of course, I understand. Come on, Karkat,” she added, grasping the prince’s hand and getting to her feet to tug him up with her.

David felt that familiar tightening of jealousy in his gut when he saw this, but the begrudging look Karkat gave her managed to loosen the knot no more than a few seconds after it had formed. Still, the fact that Karkat was looking for a bride at all made him ache a little inside. Even after a thousand mental recitations of “he’s a prince and I’m just a servant,” he couldn’t shake the feelings that had been growing inside him over the past few months they’d been together, especially in such close quarters. To not grow attached to someone you cared for and protected nearly every minute of every day seemed absurd to the servant.

Once again, though, he forced himself to focus on his first and foremost concern, like always: Karkat’s safety and wellbeing. He dutifully escorted the two around the palace as the prince answered each question his female -and honestly very pretty- companion asked about almost every room they passed through. Her curiosity didn’t seem to amuse Karkat, and if anything it just made him a little more irritable. For the most part, David did his best to tune out their conversation, it being none of his business and he wasn’t wanting to pry, but he still couldn’t help but notice the distinct lack of participation on Karkat’s end. She giggled and commentated and tried to begin conversation, but he mostly just nodded, shrugged, or mumbled something barely audible in reply.

But by the end of the day, when Feferi was about to leave for her home again, she went undeterred by any of his gruffness. She seemed to look over them, positive-thinking and well-meaning to a fault, and David couldn’t help but feel slightly bad for her; it was obvious Karkat was not about to choose her for his bride.

Once at the palace’s entrance, the knight had to simply stand by and watch as Feferi prolonged their farewell as much as she could, hugging Karkat several times and repeatedly saying how wonderful it was to meet him. Indeed, she was a nice and lovely girl, but Karkat couldn’t be blamed if she wasn’t what he was looking for in a lifetime partner. Finally, she leaned in a little too close for either Karkat or David’s comfort, her expression expectant. The prince seemed to pick up on the hint, and he respectfully suppressed a sigh as he leaned in to fill the gap and placed a kiss on her cheek. Her face fell only slightly, and David could tell she’d been expecting something more, but she didn’t hold the downtrodden expression for long.

“Thank you for coming,” Karkat told her with a small bow.

She returned it with a curtsy, smiling sweetly. “Thank you for having me! I hope we see each other again soon.”

And with that, she was taken back home by a troop of guards and escorts. Meanwhile, Karkat heaved a heavy sigh after she was out of sight, and he willingly allowed David to lead him back to his room. Once there, the knight watched idly as Karkat limply flopped down onto his bed with a low grumble, his glare somewhat intense as he locked eyes with the high ceiling of his bedroom.

“Something wrong, your highness?” David wondered aloud, even daring to go and sit beside his charge and go so far as to place a firm, pale hand on his arm. The calloused skin, hardened by constant battling and a difficult lifestyle, felt oddly perfect against the immaculately soft and smooth skin of Karkat’s vaguely scrawny bicep. No other servant had such privileges to touch their master so fondly, as none were so favored by the prince. David and David alone was allowed this small but meaningful freedom.

“I’m tired of meeting all these girls,” he muttered back in the most blunt and fed-up tone he could muster. “None of them are anywhere near my idea of a respectable partner. None of them are a good match,” he added in a softer tone, his angry expression faltering to a forlorn one for a brief second. “And I don’t want to just be set up with someone I barely know. It’s so idiotic,” he grumbled again, rolling onto his stomach and burying his face in a plush, red pillow. “I… want to marry someone I love,” he finally stated in a slightly unsure and shy tone, but even the muffled sound produced didn’t go unheard by David.

The knight smiled a bit sadly, the change in expression barely large enough for just anyone to notice -nobody who didn’t know him well anyway- and he began to rub circles into the prince’s back as soothingly as he could manage. “Of course. I’m sure you’ll meet someone perfect, Karkat. You deserve nothing less than perfect...” He almost corrected himself to say “your highness” or “master” when Karkat's name slipped out instead, but decided against it as his voice trailed off just a bit somberly.

“I don’t want to meet anyone else,” he argued back, turning his head on its side. “I’m sick of meeting the same girl with a different appearance over and over again. These princesses are all bred to be “perfect wives” with no personality or independent thought whatsoever. That’s not what I want.” He now shifted to sit up fully, his legs crossed as he faced David and clutched his pillow. “I want someone who will stand by me, but tell me how they think or feel. If I’m about to do something stupid, I want there to be someone I can believe in, someone who knows what’s best for me that will tell me to stop. I want someone that I actually feel for and know. Someone I can _trust_.”

The way Karkat locked eyes with him, the deliberate tone he used, and just how close together they seemed to be sitting, -barely a foot and a half apart- gave every word that left the prince’s mouth more meaning and more heart than can be properly explained. His words seemed to chosen carefully, specifically so David would understand and see past their coating of vagueness. And all those words, in David’s mind and in Karkat’s intentions, secretly and simply said, “I want someone like you.”

And with this realization, David had almost automatically taken Karkat’s smooth, caramel-colored hands in his own. His somewhat somber smile turned a little more hopeful and supportive as his thumbs ran over the backs of Karkat’s hands caringly. “It’ll all work out,” he promised, using as much sweet secrecy in his words as Karkat had less than a moment ago.

Karkat forced a small, meek smile in return, his dark eyes glistening with the threat of a tear or two. A beat of silence passed before he nodded in agreement, then moved to crawl a little closer and place both his hands at either of Dave’s shoulders. “I hope they do,” he said once again in the special tone that made it almost too obvious that the words they were sharing had weight and depth to them that only they could decipher. A little slowly at first, he leaned up and let his lips connect carefully with David’s, and the knight immediately reacted by sliding his arms around Karkat and resting his hands near his shoulder blades. The undeniably affectionate and loving kiss was brief, soft, and innocent, but to them it seemed to last for at least an hour, more heated and passionate than anything either of them had ever experienced. Naturally, they were both hesitant to break it.

But, of course, the time came that they both needed to breathe. (Not to mention the risk of another servant, or worse, Karkat’s father, coming in to see him.) So, Karkat put both hands to David’s shoulders and pushed him away gently, opening his eyes just to lock gazes with the knight’s ruby iris’. He smiled at first, wanting to hug his loyal guard and lay in his arms, but little-by-little his smile shrank into a tiny, morose frown. “We can’t tell anyone,” he murmured, and the words hurt him as much as they hurt David. The prince hated to hide something like that, for fear of his desired one feeling as if he was ashamed of him, but they both knew it wasn’t something they could just _tell_ anyone either. It had to be kept a secret, at least until the right time came for them to do otherwise.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long, and that it's so short. It was going to be longer, but I've been having trouble and I've been busy, so I decided it's better to post something than nothing at all. ^^;


	5. Chapter 5

The weeks passed by quickly, and with every few days a new princess came to visit, hoping for a chance to marry into Karkat’s noble family. All were disappointed, as the prince’s affections belonged loyally -though secretly- to his servant. By night they held each other closely in secret and exchanged kisses in the darkness, and by day they were subtle -if not completely stoic- about their relationship. Caution was as key as their love was forbidden. Nothing deterred them, the two far too stubborn for that, and their relationship only progressed both emotionally and mentally. They became even more convinced that neither of them would be happy without the other.

Their secret was well kept, to say the very least. Most thought nothing of their closeness, presuming it to be nothing more than David doing his duty as a loyal servant, and the disagreeable prince finally growing more accustomed to his presence. Like any sensible pair, they kept their affections private, which only made them more meaningful. It wasn’t until late one evening that the two sped up these affections the slightest bit, their usually brief and chaste kiss getting heated and passionate as either of their hands roamed along the other’s back and tangled into his hair. When they finally separated, breath heaving, David left a final kiss on Karkat’s forehead and said his nightly farewells before going back to his room.

The prince watched him go, an expression of mixed longing and fondness painting over his face before he laid back against his bed and shut his eyes to sleep. It took maybe an hour for David’s absence not to be such a weight on his chest, and when he was content -though barely- with being on his own again he finally slipped into the abyss of his dreams. David on the other hand, fell asleep quickly, his motivation for this being that the faster he slept, the sooner morning would come and he could be at his love’s side once more. But when morning came and he entered Karkat’s quarters with a slightly eager rhythm to his walk, he stopped short when the Prince was not in bed, and instead his sheets were disarrayed and a small piece of parchment as carefully placed on his pillow.

David took a few slow, cautious steps, like he was afraid of what might be written across the paper, and for good reason. When he lifted it into his hands and let his scarlet eyes scan over the written words, his face paled and a knot formed in his throat; the Prince had been taken in the night, and was being held for ransom. He balled his fists, crushing the parchment in his hand, and clenched his jaw in anger -anger at this turn of events, and at his own incompetence. Of course he’d blame himself. He didn’t hesitate a moment more before rushing out of the room and to the Sultan to inform him of his son’s disappearance. What he’d expected was booming anger and ferocity; what he got was quiet worry and dejection, like whatever life left in the Prince’s father had been drained. As if, without his son, he had no purpose to live at all.

“I’ll send you along with a few troops to fetch my son and pay the ransom, no matter what amount,” he ordered in a grim, rasping tone, and David almost strained to hear him. “No amount is too great in exchange for Karkat’s safety. I can’t lose him too... I won’t.” He smiled a little sadly, moving one hand to hold his forehead and lean against it. “It’s no wonder the kingdom knows me as “The Sufferer.” I’ve suffered too much loss to comprehend.”

Dave frowned and knelt down on one knee. “You won’t lose anything else,” he replied firmly, staring at the ground with a set look of determination and muted fury in his eyes.  “I’ll bring the Prince home no matter what it may cost. Even if I die in the process. The ransom note says to send a single guard, and -if it suits your highness- I’d want to go alone in any case.” He got to his feet and gave a small bow, still looking stern and otherwise blank-faced. “Your son will be home by nightfall, I swear it.” With those words, he collected the money needed for the transaction and was on his specified location at the outer edge of the Kingdom.

 

* * *

 

It only took an hour or two for David to walk the entire way to the designated meeting place, a run-down shack in the city’s outer-ring. His fingers brushed the hilt of his sword as it sat snugly in the sheath at his hip, his other hand reaching to knock on the door. Who knows, he thought, this could be some kind of ambush. The experienced knight was ready for anything, and when a small window in the wooden door slid open, he could just barely see past the set of eyes he saw to look at the familiar shape of Karkat hunched over in the corner, his head hanging low.

“I have the ransom,” David said dully, his voice grating out as he tried to suppress the utter rage he felt at seeing his charge in such a state as this. If he couldn’t control his emotions and keep a calm head, he’d be of no use to anyone. This was something he’d learned early on as a young knight. He held up the bag as it jingled with the coins nestled inside, as if to show that his prior statement was and honest one. “Prove to me that the prince is alive and well, and the money’s yours.”

The kidnapper at the door grinned a wicked, crooked-toothed smile and took a few steps back to crouch beside Karkat, lifting his head up so David could see his face. His eyes were half-lidded and his expression weak, a small stream of blood trickled from his nose, and he was covered in bruises from head to shoulders, but aside from that he seemed alright. He was breathing, at least.

“Bring him here,” David demanded, his voice raising the slightest bit. The familiar tone seemed to catch Karkat’s ear this time, and he perked up a little, his face still hollow and empty-looking, but his dull eyes brightening just enough to show he’d heard him. “I said bring him to me,” the knight repeated a little more firmly, his eyebrows knitting together despite all his efforts to hide his emotions. When another of the criminals came to help the first yank Karkat to his feet, he practically growled at them: “Be careful.”

They nodded without a word and tugged Karkat to his feet, and even with the support his knees knocked together and his form slumped as he trudged nearer to the door. Close-up, he looked even worse: the bruises on his cheek and forehead had already gone an ugly purple, the blood looked fresh, and there was a deep red crack in his lip where it looked like he’d been punched. David’s shoulders tensed visibly, and when the door opened he just about grabbed Karkat and pulled him away from the two men who’d taken him, but he forced restraint for fear of hurting him, or provoking them.

“The money first,” one of them said in tone of voice not unlike a treacherous serpent, and that alone was enough to make David pause. They had something planned, he could feel it. The deception was permeable in the air around them, but he nodded nonetheless. He had a few tricks up his sleeve as well, and neither of the men seemed to notice the hand balanced on the hilt of his sword as their eyes seemed to be fixated on the bag of money as he handed it over.

The first man snatched it up while the second shoved Karkat backwards and drew his own sword. _I knew it_ , David told himself silently, reciprocating the action. Before he knew it, either man had his sword poised at the other’s throat, locked in a stalemate with the both of them more than prepared to kill the enemy. However, not only was Dave the better swordsman here -he hadn’t been hand-chosen to protect the prince for nothing, after all- he also had the motivation of losing Karkat to quicken his movements as he moved one foot to trip up his foe, then place his foot on his chest to hold him down while he pointed his longsword at the other man. The pure speed, almost an inhuman one, was enough to stun them both, and the blazing-red, yet somehow icy stare he gave them only made the effect more potent.

“I don’t think double crossing me or the royal family would be in either of your best interests,” he told them in a low and grave tone, glancing at Karkat’s crumpled form on the ground and moving slowly to lift him up with one arm, the other still pointing his sword at both men. “Take your filthy money and leave, but never come anywhere near him again, or the next ransom will be for your lives.” The two gave a fearful nod, seeming to realize that their skill, or lack thereof, was easily outmatched by this highly trained soldier. Without another word, David was gone, carrying Karkat back with his small frame draped carefully over the blonde man's shoulder.

 

* * *

 

Upon their return, Karkat was rushed to the Sultan’s top physician to assess his wounds; there was no internal damage, from what he could tell, and the bruises and bloody nose seemed to be the worst of his injuries, and once those were treated as best he could manage, David was allowed to carry Karkat back to his quarters. After setting Karkat -now beginning to nod off, exhausted by the presumably horrid time he’d had with his kidnappers-down in his bed and lovingly pulling the blankets up over him, he left the room, only to be stopped outside by a fellow guard.

“The Sultan thinks it’d be best for the Prince’s safety that extra precautions be taken. He asks that you stay with him him during the night in case something like this was to happen again. A proper bed will be provided soon enough, but for the time being he expects you to improvise.” David nodded in agreement, having not a single problem with this new order, and with that the other soldier gave a bow of respect and was on his way back to his duties.

When David went back inside, he was surprised to find Karkat sitting up and slowly, shakily patting his pet tiger’s head as it purred, as if apologizing for its own failure to protect its master. His gaze went from the tiger to the door as he heard it open, his body going stiff until he realized it was his knight, and he relaxed a little. “Is something wrong?” he mumbled out, sounding a little distant.

Dave shook his head as he went to sit beside Karkat, and the tiger butted its head against his knee, like an acknowledgement of the fact that he’d save the prince. Normally the tiger would ignore him at best, and at worst growl at him. “Not a thing. The Sultan just wants me to share the room with you now to enhance security.” He smiled softly and kissed wherever Karkat wasn’t bruised to avoid hurting him. “I’m just glad you’re alright.” His smile faltered a little until finally sinking into a frown, and he bowed his head in shame. “I’m so sorry I failed you. It’s my job to protect you and I couldn’t even do that against a pair of haphazard criminals-”

“It’s not your fault,” Karkat cut in, his tone surprisingly firm as he stiffly crawled into Dave’s lap, his legs around the taller male’s waist. “You can’t expect to be perfect, or to be able to protect me from every little danger that may come along. You were there to save me and you did. That’s all I care about.” Despite the wound on his lip, he pressed his mouth into David’s in a warm and affectionate kiss, slow and gentle as his hands linked around his servant’s neck. When he pulled back, he gave a small smile and said, for the first time either of them had admitted out loud, “I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost left you guys with a cliffhanger when Karkat went missing, but I figured the chapter'd be too short. And people would hate me less.


	6. Chapter 6

It took a few days for Karkat to get over the shock of being abducted, but as his physical bruises faded he seemed to recover fairly well. Having David constantly with him definitely helped him heal. Even after the knight’s own bed was moved into the room, he tended to lay with the prince in his, at least until the smaller male had fallen asleep. He found it easier to lull him into dreams while holding him in his arms, and the young heir relaxed faster and slept more willingly that way. Once sure his love was fast asleep, his breathing slow and eyes shut snugly, he gave a chaste kiss to the crown of his head before shifting to let Kakat lay in bed on his own, and going to his own bed to sleep.

Things slowly went back to normal, and a feeling of ease settled back into the palace's walls. Each passing day followed a certain, relaxed pattern of activities that was repetitive, but not tiring. What used to be time spent meeting a new, potential fiance -the visiting princesses having stopped coming during Karkat’s time of recovery- morphed into time spent taking leisure walks through the palace’s extensive gardens and corridors. The native and foreigner walked side-by-side and, if alone, hand-in-hand. Karkat had been the happiest he’d ever been since his mother and sibling vanished from his life, and David’s happiness matched it in strength.

Their pattern wasn’t broken until a few weeks after David had rescued Karkat from his kidnappers, during dinner between the father and son, sultan and prince. The knight stood by, loyal and dedicated as ever, and was the only one allowed near the table; he was right beside Karkat, and even though no one mentioned it, it was obvious to anyone how inseparable they had become. Normally meals were quiet between the remaining members of the royal family, so when the sultan spoke up, Karkat’s face actually went a little pale. This would either be really good, or really bad news, and he was more prepared for the latter.

“Son,” the sultan began, pausing just a little to clear his throat. The news was most definitely bad. “I’ve been waiting until you were back in full spirits to tell you this, but… I’ve arranged a marriage between you and-”

“No!” Karkat almost immediately interrupted, shooting out of his chair so quickly that he knocked it backwards. “You can’t do that! You said it was my decision and I’d be able to marry a girl of my choosing!” The indignance Karkat emitted was easily palpable in the atmosphere, and he had a certain fire in his eyes as his brows knit together and his jaw clenched.

The sultan frowned with a sigh, but remained calm nonetheless. “You’ve had chance after chance, met princess after princess, and yet you still haven’t decided. You’re nearly nineteen, Karkat. You should’ve been married months, maybe even years ago, but after what happened to your brother and mother…” He took a deep breath to collect himself as his voice started to shake. “... I decided I’d give you more time and wait until you were ready. That time is up now, though. I’m getting old, son, and it won’t be long before my time has come to retire. You need to be married well before that happens.”

Karkat bit his lip in frustration, his gaze flicking downward before he turned on his heel and stormed out of the dining hall without another word. David was hot on his heels, taking long strides and keeping up with the small prince rather easily. When they reached their private quarters, he took Karkat’s shoulder in hand only for the smaller boy to spin around and hug the knight in a vice-grip. “I don’t want to marry anyone but you,” Karkat said in a firm tone, like it wasn’t up for debate. “I won’t. He can’t make me-”

“Karkat,” David said in a soothingly calm tone, resting his hand on the crown of Karkat’s head and combing through his dark hair. “You’re acting hysteric… just calm down, and everything will work out.”

“How can you be so nonchalant about this?” Karkat shot back, tears bubbling up in his eyes as he tried hard to blink them back. “Don’t you care that this could ruin everything we have?”

David sighed heavily and guided Karkat to the bed to sit down with him. “Of course I care. I can’t stand the thought of losing you. I just don’t see the point in losing our heads just yet. It won’t do any good for either of us, and it could just make things worse. We just have to keep calm and think through this.” He gently held the side of his love’s face with one hand, the other holding Karkat’s tightly. “Trust me. We’ll get through this.”

After a short pause of silence, Karkat gave a little nod and brushed a bit of his hair out of his face, his head down. “I do trust you. You’re the only one I can trust.” As David outstretched his arms, the prince crawled into his lap, legs around his waist and arms around his shoulders. He nuzzled against his neck lovingly as he let his eyes slip closed, and the knight hugged him and rubbed his back, his gaze distant and expression blank.

In all honesty, he had no idea how they would get out of this.

 

* * *

 

It was a few days before Karkat was scheduled to meet his bride-to-be, and those days were spent with David, refusing to leave his room and giving his father the cold shoulder all the while. He hardly ate, only when the knight urged him to, and sleep didn’t come easily, even when the blonde was there with him. He was distraught, to say the least, fearful of losing yet another he loved. First his mother, then Kankri, and now David- that is, if they couldn’t find some way out of this. Whenever the prince asked though, his servant gave no answer other than “I’ll think of something,” or “just trust me, and try to relax.” Needless to say, Karkat could not relax.

When the time came for the prince and his fiance to meet, he still wouldn’t leave his quarters; so, instead she was permitted to enter, much to his chagrin. She was escorted by two guards, who left promptly after opening the door for her. The girl was small, even more so than Karkat himself, and had dark, shoulder-length hair and fairly light skin, at least in comparison to his. Her eyes were a dark green, and she was dressed in light robes of a similar color, accented with a gem here and there. Her face flushed just a little upon seeing him and she smiled, giving a shaky curtsy. She was obviously excited, maybe even happy, beyond belief. “My name’s Nepeta Leijon, of Persia.”

Karkat did not seem impressed, and he kept his legs crossed as he sat on his bed, not moving an inch. He crossed his arms as well, and glared to the floor. “Karkat,” he introduced himself begrudgingly, shuffling a little closer to his knight as he stood by his bed. Nepeta’s smile faltered just a little at his attitude, but she clasped her hands in front of her and endured it with a kind smile. She crossed towards his bed, almost skipped there, but didn’t sit down. She wouldn’t dare without her future husband’s permission.

“I know,” he said, her voice sweet sounding and slightly high-pitched, but not annoyingly so. “I also know that you don’t want to marry me. I can tell.” She held out a hand, flashing him her white teeth in a quick grin, her rosy cheeks deepening in color just slightly. It was apparent that she was as nervous as him, but her kind of “nervous” was in a much more positive and anticipating sense. “And I know you must be scared. I kind of am too, but… if you’ll give me a chance, I’ll do the same for you, and I’m sure we can make it work out.”

Karkat blinked in surprise at her, glancing between her pretty face and her extended hand, small and dainty in front of his face. His frown deepened as he gently brushed it away, and instinctively latched onto the hem of David’s shirt instead. “I’m sorry, but I can’t marry you. It’s got nothing to do with fear, and it’s nothing personal.” Her full lips tilted slightly downwards in disappointment, and her olive eyes flashed sadly. “I’m… in love with someone else.”

He could feel David stiffen a little beside him, and he looked up to catch a small glance that the foreigner gave him; it was like a question, wondering if Karkat would actually tell her. The look in his eyes was wary, like a silent warning to his partner. But after that one meaningful sentence, the prince was silent, and he gave no more information to the princess. She didn’t need to know anymore than that, he decided, and it could be dangerous if she did. She could easily have gone to his father about it, in which case David might be sent back to Europe, where Karkat would likely never see him again. The thought alone made a knot form in between his vocal chords, which he swallowed down dryly.

The look in her eyes was surprised and maybe a little displeased, and she hung her head with a little nod. “I understand, and… I envy you,” she said earnestly, smiling at him slightly despite her own feelings. “And if that’s the case, than this definitely won’t work. I can’t be happy in a union that my partner isn’t pleased with. As much as I’d like to be married to you, I think you deserve to be with whoever it is you love. After all you’ve been through,” she paused with a knowing smile as she touching his hand gently, “you deserve a happy ending.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry chapters are so slow. It's a mix between writer's block, school, and procrastination.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even want to explain how or why I got this AU idea, but it happened and I really liked it. I'm not really going for historical accuracy, but I will definitely try -to the best of my knowledge- to be correct about that sort of thing. At the same time, I may as well add that it was a bit difficult trying to keep these two in character, as well as have it all make sense with the time period... anyway, I'm rambling now, so I hope you enjoyed the prologue, and comments are much appreciated! (Also, I realize the title isn't exactly a work of art... eheh. I couldn't think of anything better.)


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